Matt Murphy Movies
- 1964
In his efforts to save enough money so that Eddie (Butch Patrick) can attend college, mortuary employee Herman (Fred Gwynne) moonlights as a pro wrestler called "The Masked Marvel." Alas, it looks as though Herman's grappling career will net him only a world of hurt: the big lug is too soft-hearted to try to defeat his formidable opponents. Several authentic wrestlers appear in this episode, including Count Billy Varga, The Great John L, Jay York, Matt Murphy and Gene LeBell. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1957
This Three Stooges comedy was the second with Joe Besser in the lineup, and from the beginning it hardly seems like a Stooges film at all. It opens with the boys greeting their girlfriends and both Moe and Larry have their hair slicked back. (They never show their normal hairstyles throughout the rest of the picture.) Joe's girl, who is nearly twice his size (which is really saying something), is called Tiny, and she is distraught because her heirloom diamond ring is missing. The main suspect is Elmo Drake, a fellow employee at the warehouse where the Stooges and their girlfriends work. While on the job, the boys are determined to keep an eye on their co-worker, but that doesn't stop them from screwing things up in the shipping department. Besser actually has some funny parts while trying to wrap a package, and later, when he cleans up a mess of smashed eggs by scrambling them with a blowtorch. But, it's Tiny who finally lets Drake have it, defeating him with her pure heft. She then sweeps her prissy beau, Besser, off his feet and heads for the altar. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
An obviously ailing Humphrey Bogart made his final screen appearance in The Harder They Fall. Adapted from a novel by Budd Schulberg, the film is a thinly disguised a clef account of the Primo Carnera boxing scandal. Bogart is cast as unemployed newspaperman Eddie Willis, who sells his soul down the river when he signs on as press agent for slimy fight manager Nick Benko (Rod Steiger). It is Willis' job to stir up publicity for Benko's newest protégé, Argentinian boxer Toro Moreno (Mike Lane). Benko's boy quickly rises to the top of his profession, though everybody but Toro knows that all the fights have been fixed. Upon learning that Benko intends to bilk Toro of his earnings, Willis regains his integrity, tells the wide-eyed young pugilist the truth, then sits down to write a searing expose of the fight racket. Jan Sterling costars as Willis' estranged wife, while real-life boxers Jersey Joe Walcott and Max Baer are suitably cast as Toro's trainer and ring opponent, respectively. There is also a heartbreaking cameo appearance by ex-fighter Joe Greb, cast as a punchdrunk skid row bum. The Harder They Fall originally went out with two different endings: in one, Eddie Willis demanded that boxing be banned altogether, while in the other, Willis merely insisted that there be a federal investigation of the prizefighting business. The videotape version contains the "harder" denouement, while most TV prints end with the "softer" message. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Humphrey Bogart, Rod Steiger, (more)
This 1955 film began life as two Runyon short stories, the most prominent of which was "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown." This material was fleshed out into a 2-act libretto by Abe Burrows and Jo Swerling, then set to music by Frank Loesser and directed by George S. Kaufman. Opening late in 1950, Guys and Dolls was one of Broadway's hottest tickets for several seasons. The plot involves a certain Broadway citizen by the name of Nathan Detroit (Frank Sinatra), who maintains the "Oldest Established Permanent Floating Crap Game in New York." Seeking a location for his latest high-stakes game, Nathan has an opportunity to rent out the Biltmore Garage, but he needs $1000 to do so. He decides to extract the money from high-rolling Sky Masterson (Marlon Brando), known for his willingness to bet on anything. Nathan wagers that Sky will not be able to talk the virginal Salvation Army lass Sarah Brown (Jean Simmons) into going on a date with him. While Sky goes to work on Sarah, Nathan endeavors to fend off his girlfriend Miss Adelaide (Vivian Blaine, repeating her Broadway role), who has developed a psychosomatic cold because of her frustrating 14-year engagement to the slippery Mr. Detroit. Thanks to some fast finagling, Sky is able to take Sarah on that date, flying to Havana for this purpose. By the time they've returned to New York, Sky and Sarah are in love, but their ardor cools off abruptly when Nathan, unable to secure the Biltmore garage, attempts to use Sarah's mission as the site of his crap game. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marlon Brando, Jean Simmons, (more)
